Dr. Richard Smith received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Maryland in 1969.  He was then employed the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where he advised governmental agencies and private companies on how to establish measurement systems for making their measurements traceable to the National Bureau of Standards. His research areas involved multi-photon photoelectric effects, the measurement of energy and power from lasers as weak as ones found in grocery store checkout lines, and very powerful ones that were of interest to DOD and DOE. He also conducted research in the fields of artificial intelligence and expert systems. After retiring from NIST in 1994, he discovered System Science. This enhanced his interest in the world’s energy crisis and limits to growth of civilization.

Besides teaching courses in physics before he retired, after retirement, he taught several courses at George Mason University and American University. He has led and participated in discussion groups at the Washington Ethical Society and Cedar Lane UU on the energy crisis, limits to growth, ecosystem studies, possible future systems for civilization, and system thinking.